As coverage of the suddenly open Congressional seat in Minnesota’s Eighth District intensifies around the DFL candidates, Republicans had also been waiting to see who was in and who was out. Well, their math got easier today. Yesterday Stewart Mills III, twice a candidate for the job, announced he was sticking with his original decision… Read More →
With Anderson, Lourey out, MN-8 race grows complex
February 27, 2018 by 1 Comment
Yesterday, Jeff Anderson announced he would not run for Congress in Minnesota’s Eighth Congressional District. He had been considering such a run. However, the former Duluth City Councilor and District Director for retiring U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan (D-MN8) didn’t stop there. Anderson endorsed Iron Range State Rep. Jason Metsa for the job. Metsa (DFL-Virginia) has… Read More →
Digging deeper into environmental policy
February 23, 2018 by 2 Comments
This month, the “Dig Deep” podcast explores environmental policy, a ferociously hot topic here in Northern Minnesota. “Dig Deep” is a production of Northern Community Radio, and appears both on the radio and as a podcast. My friend Chuck Marohn of Strong Towns represents a more conservative approach to issues while I present a more… Read More →
Notes from my interview with Rick Nolan
February 18, 2018 by Leave a Comment
This week I interviewed Minnesota Eighth District Congressman Rick Nolan for today’s newspaper column. We spoke for almost an hour, so much of it couldn’t fit in an already overstuffed 900-word column. Here are a few more thoughts from the Feb. 15 Rick Nolan interview after he announced his retirement from Congress. Of course, you… Read More →
Nolan to retire, but ‘political journey’ goes on
February 18, 2018 by 2 Comments
“Politics is not a destination, it’s a journey,” Congressman Rick Nolan told me this week. “It’s an American journey, and a beautiful one.” On Feb. 9, Nolan announced that his leg of that journey will end with his current term representing Minnesota’s Eighth District, creating a wide-open race in Northern Minnesota’s tumultuous political climate. I… Read More →
Michelle Lee seeks DFL nomination in MN-8
February 15, 2018 by 9 Comments
On Feb. 15, former Duluth TV news anchor Michelle Lee joined a growing list of candidates for Congress in Minnesota’s Eighth District. Lee, who retired from KBJR-TV last year, represents a familiar face with an increasingly political voice in a wide open race to succeed Democratic Rep. Rick Nolan. Democracy is a messy, frustrating and… Read More →
Joe Radinovich enters DFL race for Congress
February 15, 2018 by 14 Comments
Former State Rep. Joe Radinovich of Crosby announced today he would seek the DFL nomination for Minnesota’s Eighth Congressional District. Northeastern Minnesota is who I am, where I’m from, and what I’ll always fight for. I’ve spent my life fighting for working families, whether it be organizing for workers’ rights, promoting economic investment in northeastern… Read More →
North Branch Mayor Kirsten Kennedy enters MN-8 race
February 12, 2018 by 1 Comment
Today, North Branch Mayor Kirsten Hagen Kennedy announced she will seek the DFL nomination for Congress in Minnesota’s Eighth Congressional District. Kennedy made news most recently as the guest of Congressman Rick Nolan at President Trump’s State of the Union Address. At that time, Nolan was a candidate for re-election. Since then, he announced he’s… Read More →
Candidates mull suddenly wide open MN-8 race
February 10, 2018 by 29 Comments
UPDATE: I’ve created a special MN-8 page to provide up-to-date coverage of this race. Amid Friday’s stunning news that Rick Nolan would retire from Congress, we now try to sort out who else might run now that the seat is wide open. Of course, we know that DFLer Leah Phifer was already challenging Nolan for… Read More →
Rick Nolan to retire from Congress leaving MN-8 wide open
February 9, 2018 by 13 Comments
U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan (D-MN8) announced this morning he will retire from Congress at the end of his current term. This leaves a wide open race for one of the most closely contested seats in the United States House of Representatives. Several news outlets reported the news this morning. Nolan, 74, has represented Northern Minnesota… Read More →
